This invention relates to a railroad track and right of way maintenance and repair system, and more particularly, to a self-propelled vehicle capable of presenting a plurality of boom releasable implements for debris removal, pickup and transport along the rail tracks and right of way for dumping at a remote location.
Various devices have been proposed for maintaining and repairing a railroad track and its right of way including devices having rail cleaning nozzles, leaf removal nozzles, spray nozzles and the like. These devices were either coupled to the train itself or were designed to move along the rails.
Deficiencies were inherent with such devices as they were incapable of performing the multiplicity of track maintenance and repair tasks needed to be performed by various independent implements. Thus, such devices did not effectively address the removal, pickup and transport of the various types of debris found along and aside the tracks, inclusive of discarded ties, spikes, weeds, brush etc.
In response thereto, a track/right of way maintenance and repair system presents a self-propelled loader car with a boom thereon, the boom being pivotable and rotatable to a plurality of positions along and aside the track. An implement car coupled to the loader car, stores a plurality of implements for transport, with each implement being releasably attached to the boom according to the job at hand, such as a grappler/claw, brush-cutter, backhoe, and magnet for metal debris pickup. A refuse car is coupled to the loader car for debris storage, transport and deposit. The loader car contains a hydraulic system for a plurality of functions e.g., cab propulsion, braking, boom manipulation, cab tilt and implement power.
It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide self propelled track/right of way maintenance and repair system which can perform a multiplicity of debris removal tasks as well as debris pickup and transport.
A further object of this invention is to provide a system, as aforesaid, which presents a self-propelled loader car having a universal boom assembly.
Another object of this invention is to provide a system, as aforesaid, having an implement car and/or a refuse car, coupled to the self-propelled loader car.
A further object of this invention is to provide a system, as aforesaid, which has a hydraulic system for powering the various functions associated with the loader, implement and refuse cars.
A more particular object of this invention is to provide a system, as aforesaid, wherein the boom is rotatable and/or pivotable relative to the track to enhance debris removal and pickup therealong.
Another object of this invention is to provide a boom, as aforesaid, wherein the refuse car is moveable between debris loading and refuse dumping positions.
A particular object of this invention is to provide an operator cab on the loader car which is moveable through normal operating and transport profiles to enable the loader car to pass under bridges, viaducts or the like.
Another object of this invention is to provide a hydraulic braking system for the various cars which will engage the brakes upon a loss of hydraulic power.
Another particular object of this invention is to provide a boom assembly which provides hydraulic and/or electric power to the implements to be attached thereto.
Other advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, a now preferred embodiment of the present invention.